Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 {Review}

I was so excited to receive the newest Fujifilm addition to the Instax family: the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40.

I had a lot of fun reviewing the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 earlier this year so of course, getting another opportunity to experiment with more Instax cameras was a quick mood pick-me-upper.

For newcomers, Instax cameras might look equally appealing and frustrating, but I can assure you, when you’re done reading this review, you’ll see how amazing this camera is and how easy it is to use.

Disclaimer: I received the Fujifilm Mini 40 for a couple of days to use and experiment with in exchange for a review. All opinions and views are my own.

Specs:

Dimensions: 104mm x 121mm x 65mm
Weight: 330g (without batteries, strap and film)
Lens: 60 mm
Shooting Range: 0.3m and beyond (use selfie mode for 0.3m to 0.5m)
Shutter speeds: 1/2 to 1/250 sec
Print size: 54×86mm (2.1 in × 3.4 in)
Printed size image: 62x46mm (1.8 in × 2.4 in)
Prints per film pack: 10
Film developing time: approximately 90 seconds
Power: 2x AA batteries

Features:

You can’t miss the Instax Mini 40’s retro look and feel.

The Instax Mini 40 lets you take photos in light and darker settings due to the build-in flash that calculates the brightness and automatically adjusts the shutter speed.

Taking a selfie is easy with the adjustable lens that can be pulled out into ‘Selfie Mode’ to take selfies with a mirror on the front of the camera to help you stay in the frame of the shot. Using the ‘Selfie Mode‘ allows you to take close ups, even with your arm extended to fit into the frame.

There is no self-timer, you cannot disable the flash and there is no tripod thread at the bottom of the camera.

Operation:

While the camera comes with a user manual to explain how to use it, there’s not much need to consult it. It’s easy to figure out how the Instax Mini 40 works and what function does what.

The button next to the lens pops the lens out and once the flash has charged (automatically), you’re ready to use it. It takes a couple of seconds to finish charging – the red light one the front face of the camera will stop flashing.

The shutter button sits below the viewfinder on the front face. It is attached to the camera. The rubberised thumb rest allows a stead grip on the camera

When you’re done using the camera, simply push the lens back and camera switches itself off.

To use ‘Selfie Mode‘, you’ll need to gently pull out the lens until you see the words ‘Selfie Mode’ on the lens. There’s a built-in selfie mirror on the front to help you position yourself within the frame. The lens needs a good but gentle tug to come out.

Usability:

To get the best use of the Instax camera, you need to hold it in a vertical position. The viewfinder is small-ish, and takes some time to adjust your view through it to make sure you’re got everything you want in the frame.

The shutter button is close to the viewfinder and I needed to make sure my finger wasn’t obstructing my view through the viewfinder. Once you have a better feel of the camera and using it, this little issue goes away.

I found the viewfinder to be slightly off centre to the lens so what you see through it might not be an exact representation of the final capture.

The shutter button feels steady and I didn’t have to worry too much about letting it go off accidentally. It’s still possible but not as easy. The worry of wasting film accidentally isn’t too high.

Taking selfies was a breeze with the Instax Mini 40. With the smooth sides, it was easy to get a good grip on the camera with one hand and use the selfie feature.

As soon as you’ve snapped a picture, it will slide out from the top of the camera and takes about 90 seconds to develop. Just make sure to not touch the white part of the film while it’s still developing.

The auto exposure and variable shutter speed does help out cut down on user error.

You still need to keep a steady hand on the camera when using it as any movement can result in the photo blurring slightly. It would it be great to have a tripod addition to keep this problem at bay where you don’t need to worry about shaky hands and blurred images.

The camera does auto adjust the settings automatically to accommodate the lightning need. I found the results from bright and dark spaces equally good, with the exception of darker settings appearing darker in the final prints.

Overall the image quality is good, but it depends on the type of filter film used.

**Kawaii Film: Bright setting vs Dark setting** **(taken in front of a bonfire)**

The image quality is good, even with some of the darker images.

The camera doesn’t have an infinity mode, which makes for some shots that are taken from a distance look a little soft on the image once developed.

Film:

As a once off purchase, the Instax Mini 40 isn’t all expensive compare to over instant cameras, but the film is a little.

Since you have no chances for do overs, accidentally pressing the shutter button or moving the camera while snapping a shot results in wasted film.

There are different filter films to choose from depending on your preference, and each one will give a slightly different appearance to the photos.

You can find the different types of film here to compare.

I have used the Kawaii filter films before and I really liked the soft appearance of the photos when developed. Additionally I used the Contact Sheet filter film and I wasn’t really a fan of it, as the shots came out darker-even in natural light.

**Contact Sheet Film: Bright setting vs Dark setting**

To put the film pack into the Instax, you just need to pop the back of the camera open and insert the film as shown on the instructions. Be very careful when handling the film and don’t press down on it or you can damage it.

With every new film pack you use, you’ll need to take a ‘fake‘ shot with the camera to let the black cover of the film slide out. From there, the camera is ready for use. You can add a pack of 10 sheets at a time and there’s a helpful counter to show you how much film you still have left to use.

Keep in mind to not open the film compartment while there is still usable film in it, or you’ll damage the sheets and they will be unusable.

The image takes about 90 seconds to develop, depending on the lighting you took the photo in. The natural lighting images developed around that time frame while darker setting images took a little longer.

Pricing:

The price of the Instax Mini 40 is a little higher than the 11, even though they have the same features, but different looks.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 {Review} #fujifilm #fujifilminstaxmini40 #productreview
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Conclusion:

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 has the same features that you will find with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, but if you were put off by the 11’s toy-like appearance and not the features, you’ll love it’s grown-up alternative, the Mini 40.

The box shape make it easier to hold and handle with its straight corner design – it gave me more confidence using it.

It’s another gift idea for those that love taking photos and capturing memories on the go; retro-style.

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